Review Article

Central and Peripheral Mechanism of Acupuncture Analgesia on Visceral Pain: A Systematic Review

Table 3

Visceral hypersensitivity models in animal studies (visceral hypersensitivity and CRD models).

Author
(year)
Model
(animal, gender, number)
Acupuncture groups Control groupsOutcomesResults
Acupunctureacupoints
number, duration
Control acupoints
number, duration

(1) Cui et al.
(2005) [25]
Visceral hypersensitivity+CRD (SD rat, m, various)(A) Model+EA (4/100Hz, 1mA)(A) ST36, 37
7, 30min
(B) Control
(C) Model
(D) Model+Sham EA (ns)
(A) ST36, 37
7, 30min
(1) AWR
(2) Activity of rectus abdominis
Between groups
(1), (2) (A)<(C), (B)<(C)
(2) Tian et al.
(2006) [26]
(1) Colorectal irritation-induced visceral hypersensitivity (SD rat, m, 6/group)
(2) Model 1+stress
(A) Model 1+EA (2Hz, 0.3mA)
(B) Model 2+EA (2Hz, 0.3mA)
(A), (B) ST36, SP6
1, 30min
(C) Control
(D) Model 1
(E) Model 2
-(1) AWR
(2) Pain threshold pressure
(3) Fecal pellet
(4) 5-HT4a receptor in colon
(5) Serotonin transporter in colon
Between groups
(1) (A), (C)<(D)
(2) (D)<(A), (C)
(3) (B), (C), (D)<(E)
(4), (5) (B)<(A), (C)
(5) (D)<(C)
(3) Liu et al.
(2009) [27]
Visceral hypersensitivity
(SD rat, m, 8/group)
(A) Model+EA (2/100Hz, 0.2–0.6ms, 1mA)(A) ST25, ST37
7, 20min
(B) Control
(C) Model
-(1) AWR
(2) Concentration of 5-HT
(3) Concentration of 5-HT3R
(4) Concentration of 5-HT4R
Between groups
(1), (2) (A), (B)<(C)
(4) (C)<(A), (B)
(4) Xu et al.
(2009) [10]
Visceral hypersensitivity +CRD (SD rat, m, 6-25/group total 74)(A) Model+EA (2/100Hz, 0.1ms, 1mA)
(B) Model+EA+SAL (same as above)
(A), (B) ST36
5, 40min
(C) Control
(D) Model
(E) Model +Sham EA (ns)
(F) Model+EA+NAL
(E), (F) ST36
5, 40min
(1) VMR
(2) Membrane potential of DRG neuron
(3) Rheobase of DRG neuron
(4) Action potential of DRG neuron
Within group
(1) (D): increased
(1) (A), (B): decreased after treatment (effect blocked in (F))
Between groups
(2) (A)<(E), (C)<(D)
(3) (D)<(C), (E)<(A)
(4) (A), (C)<(D)
(5) Wu et al.
(2010) [29]
Visceral hypersensitivity +CRD (SD rat, m, 8/group)(A) Model+EA (10Hz, 0.18ms, ~3mA)(A) ST36
3, 20min
(B) Control
(C) Model+Sham EA (ns)
(B) ST36
3, 20min
(1) Pain threshold to CRD
(2) VMR
(3) 5-HT in colon, spinal cord, brainstem
(4) c-Fos in colon, spinal cord, brainstem
Between groups
(1) (C)<(A), (B)
(2), (3), (4) (A), (B)<(C) (except (3) in colon)
(B)<(A) (in 40, 60, 80mmHg)
(6) Qi et al.
(2012) [32]
Visceral hypersensitivity +CRD (SD rat, m, 8/group)(A) Model+EA (5/100Hz)(A) ST36, 37
4, 30min
(B) Control
(C) Model
(D) Model+sham EA (ns)
(D) ST36, 37
4, 30min
(1) Pain threshold pressure
(2) AWR
(3) c-Fos in RVM
(4) N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 in RVM
Within group
(2) (A): decreased after treatment
Between groups
(1) (C)<(A), (B)
(2) (B)<(C)
(3) (A)<(C)
(4) (A), (B)<(C)
(7) Qi et al.
(2012) [33]
Visceral hypersensitivity +CRD (SD rat, m, 8/group)(A) Model+EA (5/100Hz)(A) ST36, 37
4, 30min
(B) Control
(C) Model
(D) Model+sham EA (ns)
(D) ST36, 37
4, 30min
(1) AWR
(2) c-Fos in spinal cord
Between groups (1), (2)
(A), (B)<(C)
(8) Zhou et al.
(2012) [34]
Stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity (SD rat, m, 5-8/group total 94)(A) Model+EA (2/100Hz, 0.1ms, 1mA)(A) ST36
1, 30min
(B) Model
(C) Control+ Sham EA (ns)
(D) Control+EA
(E) Model+Sham EA
(F) Model+EA
(G) Model+EA+SAL
(H) Model+EA+NAL
(I) Model+EA+NAL methiodide
(C)-(E), (H)-(J) ST36
(F) BL43
1, 30min
(1) VMR
(2) AWR
(3) Distention pressure threshold
Within group
(1), (2) (B): increased (vs baseline)
(3) (B): decreased (vs baseline)
Between groups
(1) (A)<(E), (G)<(I) (40, 60, 80mmHg)
(2) (A), (C)<(E)
(D)<(E) (60, 80mmHg)
(G)<(H)
(9) Weng et al.
(2015) [39]
Visceral hypersensitivity +CRD (SD rat, m, 8/group)(A) Model+EA (2/100Hz, 2mA)(A) ST25, 37
7, 20min
(B) Control
(C) Model
-(1) AWR
(2) P2X3 receptor in colonic, DRG, spinal cord, PFC, ACC
Between groups
(1), (2) (A), (B)<(C)
(10) Qi et al.
(2016) [41]
Visceral hypersensitivity+CRD (SD rat, m, various/group total 184)(A) Model+EA (2Hz, 1-3mA)
(B) Model+EA (100Hz, 1-3mA)
(C) Model+EA (2/100Hz, 1-3mA)
(A)-(F) ST36, 37
1, 10min
(D) Model+EA (2Hz, 1-3mA)+NAL
(E) Model+EA (100Hz, 1-3mA)+NAL
(F) Model+EA (2/100Hz, 1-3mA)+NAL
(G) Model+sham EA (ns)
(H) Control
(D)-(G) ST36, 37
1, 10min
(1) AWR
(2) Activity of rectus abdominis
Within group
(1), (2) (A)-(C), (E), (F): increased after CRD, decreased after treatment
(D), (G): increased after CRD
(11) Liu et al.
(2017) [42]
Visceral hypersensitivity (SD rat, m, 8/group)(A) Model+EA (5/25Hz, 1mA)(A) ST36, 37
4, 30min
(B) Control
(C) Model
(D) Model+sham EA (ns)
(C) ST36, 37
4, 30min
(1) AWR
(2) NR2B in spinal cord
Between groups
(1) (A)<(C)
(2) (A), (B)<(C), (D)
(12) Zhou et al.
(2017) [43]
Visceral hypersensitivity +restraint stress (SD rat, m, 16/8)(a), (b) Model+EA (100Hz, 1mA)(a), (b) ST36
(a) 1, 90min
(b) 1, 30min
(C) Control
(d) Model
(e) Model+sham EA (ns)
(f) Model+propranolol
(g) Model+phentolamine
(h) Model+SAL
(d) ST36
1, 30min
(1) Activity of acromiotrapezius
(2) ECG
Within group
(2) (d): LF/HF increased after restraint stress
Between groups
(1) during gastric distention: (C), (a), (b)<(d); (f), (g)<(h)
(2) LF/HF, LF: (a)<(d)

Group written in lowercase letters (e.g., (a), (b), and (c)): different treatments in the same population, unless stated otherwise. Group written in capital letters (e.g., (A), (B), and (C)): different treatments in different population.
ACC: anterior cingulate cortex; AWR: abdominal withdrawal reflex; BL: Bladder Meridian; CRD: colorectal distention; DRG: dorsal root ganglion; EA: electro-acupuncture; ECG: Electrocardiography; f: female; HF: high frequency heart rate variability; LF: low frequency heart rate variability; m:male; mA: milliampere; min: minutes; ms: milliseconds; NR2B: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit NR2B; NAL: naloxone; ns: not stimulated; PFC: prefrontal cortex; RVM: rostral ventromedia medulla; SAL: saline; SD: Sprague Dawley; ST: Stomach Meridian; VMR: visceral motor response (reflex); 5-HT: 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin).